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State Park Hunting Application

Fill out the form below to apply to hunt at Mahoney State Park, Platte River State Park or Schramm Park SRA.

A state park hunting application is required to hunt deer at Mahoney State Park, Platte River State Park and Schramm Park State Recreation Area annually. Applications are for archery and muzzleloader seasons only, and hunters must have a valid permit purchased prior to submitting their application. Hunters will be randomly assigned to parks during designated dates based on preferences provided. The drawing will take place the week of Oct. 19, 2026 and applicants will be notified shortly after.

Application period: Sept. 15-Oct. 15, 2026

Orientation requirements

Successful applicants and interested alternates must attend an orientation at Schramm Park State Recreation Area at 7 p.m. CT Nov. 23 for Archery and 7 p.m. CT Dec. 15 for Muzzleloader.

Permit requirements

Valid permits include statewide archery, Wahoo Antlerless-Only and/or youth deer. All January archery or muzzleloader dates require a Wahoo Antlerless-Only permit, which are sold out for the 2026-2027 seasons.

Application

Applicants will receive an email confirmation upon submission. Hunters can select an individual permit, a buddy permit or a mentor permit type.

2026 State Park Deer Hunting Application

Name

First Name

Last Name

Address

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal

Country

Date of birth

Phone

Hunting permit number

Located on the top right of your printed permit sheet or in your active licenses within your online permit account (Example: D000111111)

Application type

Name of buddy

First Name

Last Name

Name of hunting partner

First Name

Last Name

I acknowledge that my buddy or hunting partner must also fill out an application and their preferences must match mine.

Yes, I understand.

Select your #1 location, method and date preference from the dropdowns below.

Select your #2 location, method and date preference from the dropdowns below.

Select your #3 location, method and date preference from the dropdowns below.

Select your #4 location, method and date preference from the dropdowns below.

Optional

Select your #5 location, method and date preference from the dropdowns below.

Optional

Please note any special access needs.

Reminders

Walk in/out is mandatory; some of the hunting areas or tree stands will be over 3/4 mile from the parking lot.
Two-person tree stands have a 500 lb. weight limit.
A valid Nebraska state park vehicle permit is required for park entry.

Resources

Big Game Guide

Plan your next Nebraska hunting trip with the help of our Big Game Guide.

Deer

Nebraska is a hidden-gem deer hunting destination. We offer both whitetail and mule deer hunting.

Visit the Venture Parks

Four park areas along the Platte River offer unique experiences and enhanced camping opportunities.